The present invention relates to footwear constructions, and more particularly to a footwear construction with a shock absorbing sole.
There is a continuing effort in the footwear industry to provide evermore comfortable and durable articles of footwear. In most applications, the comfort—often the combination of shock absorption and support—of the footwear construction is provided in the sole, and particularly the midsole.
A wide variety of sole constructions are known for providing the article of footwear with a desired amount of shock absorption and support. For instance, many articles of footwear include a layer or multiple layers of resilient cushioning material, such as a polyurethane or EVA foam. Some of these articles of footwear also incorporate hard plates into portions of the midsole to provide a level of rigidity for added support in those portions. More recently, footwear constructions have included alternative elements in the sole to achieve the desired amount of shock absorption and support. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,523 discloses a midsole construction with a plurality of columnar resilient elements. The stiffness of these resilient elements can be controlled to meet the desired shock absorption characteristics for a variety of applications.
As the shock absorption and support capabilities of footwear continue to evolve, manufacturers are searching for footwear constructions that provide increased levels of control and comfort that are while also being durable, aesthetically pleasing, and cost effective to manufacture.